Lakers are learning Marcus Smart experience that divided Celtics fans

Marcus Smart was a polarizing figure during his nine seasons with the Boston Celtics. He was either your favorite player, or you probably wanted the front office to trade him any time they got the chance.

Those who loved Smart were drawn to his commitment to winning. He was willing to put his body on the line if it meant Boston would have a better chance at victory. Diving for loose balls, drawing charges, playing through injury; Smart did it all.

On the flip side, those who didn’t care for the former No. 6 overall pick would tell you his role on the team was too big. He took too many threes, got overaggressive on offense, and would make careless mistakes at times.

Lakers fans just got a strong dose of the Marcus Smart experience

Over the summer, Smart signed with the rival Los Angeles Lakers after he was bought out of the final season of his contract with the Washington Wizards. The news hit like a ton of bricks for many Celtics fans, but thankfully, Lakers fans are getting the full Marcus Smart experience, instead of just the highlights.

On Sunday night, L.A. built a sizable lead over the Phoenix Suns early in the fourth quarter. They led by as many as 20, with momentum on their side, with just over eight minutes to play. Then, Smart threw this careless pass in transition, and ignited a 35-14 Suns run, which gave the hosts a late lead.

The final three points in Phoenix’s late push came after Smart forced a contested layup when the Lakers could’ve bled out most of the remaining clock. Once Ryan Dunn swatted away the ill-advised attempt, the Suns got down the floor for a wild possession, ending in a Dillon Brooks three for the lead.

Unfortunately, the late lead didn’t hold. In true Lakers fashion, they got some help from the officials to get over the finish line. Devin Booker was whistled for a phantom foul on a deep LeBron James three-point attempt, and James sank the eventual game-winning free throws.

“It started with me, I did some dumb stuff, and I'm just glad we came out with the wi,n and it didn't cost us,” Smart said following the near-collapse.

Smart’s post-Celtics career has been rocky, to say the least. He dealt with tons of injuries during his time with the Memphis Grizzlies, and then found himself traded to a tanking Wizards team.

It’s definitely painful to see him wearing purple and gold, but he’s at least been able to compete on a competitive team, even if it’s the Lakers.

How long will this all last, though?

The above plays from Smart aren’t that abnormal for him, as Celtics fans can attest. During his time in Boston, the good outweighed the bad, but if that doesn’t happen in L.A., he’ll have gone from a player with jersey retirement potential in Boston to LeBron’s next scapegoat.